Process and apparatus for separating liquids from solids



H. c. BEHR PRocEss AND APARATUs Fon sErARAT'ING LIQUIDS FROM soLIDs mm wz?. www

y H. Q @EH PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROMSOLIDS Filed Dec. 12.71925 s sheets-snee@ 2 @Wow/woz H. C. EEE-HR Paocss Amb-APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM soups me@ Deo.' i2.. 1925 s Smm-sheet 3 f numtz" rented Nev. 29, 1927.

UTED STTS 1,650,685. PATENT orrice.

HANS c. BEER, or scAns'DALE, New Yonx.

PROCESS AND `AIEPAIIK/A'I*US FOR SEPRATING LIQUID?, FROM SOLIDS.

application mea December 12, 1925. serial Nayibm.'

The invention relates to the centrifugal separation of' liquidfrom granular or other solid material in a continuous manner and comprises a process and means for performing suchwork.

The continuous centrifuge herein described is of the type in 'which the material treatedl is supplied at one portion of the periphery of a rotating cylindricaly or conical screening surface and is conveyed across 'said surface and discharged at the other end thereof by means preferably rotating at a different rate from said screen. 4

@ne object of the improvements is to reduce the chance of fine solid material escapi'ng through the screen with the separated liquid. Another object is to secure even dis-- ltribution of the materlal during its conveyance across the screen.

A further important object has to do with the toothed gearing required for maintaining the relative movement of the screening and conveyf the rearing shown in 'Figures 1 and 2 taken at rlght angles to the section of Figurel;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the conveying member shown in section in Figure 1, with a section of the separating member shown at one side;

Fi ure 5 is an elevational view of a modified Aerm of the conveying means;

'Figure 6 is a plan view, looking at the underside of the member shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an elevational section of one edge of the conveyer shown in Figures and 6;

`.Figure 8 is an elevational section of one edge of a `modified form of .the type of conveyer shown in Figures 5 and 6.

, Referring to Figure 1, 1 is the stationary casing of the machine, which serves asa the bearing 26 general support for the rotating and fixed parts and a'tfit'he same time forms the outer shell for the solid products receiver. Its usual flange 2 is secured by bolts 3 to the upper flange 4 of the ring 5, the lower flange 6 of which is held by bolts 7 to the floor 8. F'The inner shell 9 is integral with ring through a number of ribs 10, affording aspace 11 between shells 1 and 9 for the downward passage of the solid product past ribs 1() and through the circular opening 12 in the Hoor 8. Ribs 13 inside shell 9. support the upper central ubearing 14. At its lower end, somewhat below the level of rin 5, shell 9 has an inward flange 15, to which the bolts 16 secure the circular base plate 17. At the center of plate 17 the hub 19 lcarries the bearing 2O for the lower end 21 of the central shaft 22. The large part of shaft 22 is supported for its full llength by ormed by the quill .27, which in turn is supported at itsupper enlarged end 28 in the fixed bearing 14 before described. l

To the lower part 2l of the shaft 22, and abutting against the large part of the shaft the disc 29 is secured against rotation by feather 30 and in an axial direction by ther Cotter pin 31 passing through the hub 32 of disc 29. The upper reduced end 33 of shaft 22 has fixed to it the conical hub 34, held against the top of 22 by nut 35 on the threadedend"""36 of 22.' the feather 37 preventing rotative slipping. Quill 27 abuts J0 with its upper end against the lower face of hub 34 and with its lower end against the upper face of disc 29. The sleeve 38, fixed to quill 27 bythe cotter ins 39, is integral at lts lower end with t e disc 40 and its 95 peri heral ring part 41. The weight of shafll 22 and quill 27 with all their attached parts, which constitute the rotating members, is here shown to be carried by the upper face of'V the bearing 14, abuttin` against the lower face 43 of disc 44 fixe' to the quill 27. Such support may, however,` be provided by thrust bearings or footsteps at any other convenient point 'of' quill 27' or of shaft y22.

The belt 45 on pulley 46, fixed to the lower end 21 of shaft 22, serves to impart a high speed of rotation to the latter and its connected arts, and indirectly drives the quill 27 an its attached parts at a speed slightly faster than its-own through the system of gearing now to be described.

- of parts beneath it. Worm 70 is fixed truly being secured in coaxial with shaft 22 on the base plate 17, place through its basal flange 71 by screws 72. The worm 70 preferably has multiple -threads to obtain the most favorable speed and pressure relations, and its threads mesh with the teeth of worm gear 73, fixed, with its hub 74, to the shaft 75, rotating in the hanger bearings 76 and 77 secured to the lower face of disc 29. Fixed on the shaft and projecting beyond `bearing 77 is the bevel pinion 78, meshing with the bevel gear 79, fixed, with its hub 80, to the lower end of the vertical shaft 49 mounted in thedisc 29. The pinion 51 is secured tothe upperend of shaft 49 and enga with the internal gear 52. 4In order to cause quill 27 to rotate ahead of shaft 22 with the arrangement of gearing shown, the fixed worm 70 must have left hand helices, in which case the directionsl of rotation of the various gears will be as indicated by the arrow 54 for disc 29, by arrow 81 for worm rear 73 and bevel pinion 78, by arrow 82 for vel gear 79 and spur pinion 51, and arrow 56 for the relative rotation of internal ear 52. The worm gear 73 has its teeth lu ricated from the fixed worm 70, which for this purpose is provided with the oil passage 83, sup ied with oil from the pipe 84.

Obvlously the method of earing described may be varied as to t es o gearing employed and as to their re ative arrangement, but all embodying the fundamental features of this phase of the improvements; a stationary worm element meshing with a gear, the axis of which is rotated at a rapid rate (and is tangent to a circle concentric with the axis of the xed gear element), by one of a pair of rotating elements of the machine, and a toothed gear element, integral with the gear in mesh with the fixed worm and meshing directly, or through intermediate gearing, with a preferably internal gear connected with the other rotating element of the said air.

Referring again to Fi re 1, the conical hub 34 atk the upper entf-[33 of shaft 22 is extended at its base into the annular disk connected through a multiplicity of impeller blades 86 with the ring 87. The upper enlarged end 28 of the quill 27 is extended tovl'form the disk 44 previously described, which is integral at its outer edge with the cone 88, extending u ward to about the level of the top of im e ler blades 8,6 at which point it is joined y the foraminous mantle 89, and which is also preferably 'conical for most `substances treated, but may in some said mantle. The inner grooved surface of 98 is overlaid by the screen material 92. ln

some cases it will be advantageous to have also cone 88 made with grooves 93, perforated with holes 94 and overlaid with screen material 95, all as shown in Figure 1.

On to the ring 87, integral with blades 86, a number of lts 96 secure the annular Ydisk 97, recessed on the, under side to lit over said ring 87. Disk 97 is integral at its inner edge with the lcentral feed cone 114 and at its outer edffe with the small end of the conveyor bo y 99, which is here conical to conform to the shape of screen 92. The conveyor body 99 is provided on its outer surfacewith a series of circumferential zonal ribs 100, which have gaps 101 at one or more points of their circumference, where they may be connected to each other by the short mc ines 102, (sce Fig. 4) so that each zona] rib continues into its adjacent rib at one or more points, thus forming one or more continuous zig-zagged ribs extending from one end of cone 99 tothe other. For the sake of balanced construction and operation gaps 101 and inclines 102 should be provided at not less than two equally spaced points of the circumference. The inclines 102 operate to advance the material, held on the screen 92 by centrifugal force, from the lower end of said screen to the large end, each particle of the material thus being moved for short intervals between much longer intervals of. rest on the screen. lf the zonal ribs are not present, the velocity of movement over the screen, imparted to the material treated by the action of inclines 102, is likely to send the said material forward 1n an indefinite unrestricted manner, even in the case of a cylindrical form of screen. With a conical screen 92 the lateral component of centrifugal force due to the conical form will aggravate the said uncertainty of forward movement. Serious unbalance of the operating machine is likely to result from the uncertainty of progress of the material over the screen, which is prevented by the zonal ribs 100. If a cylindrical form of screen be used the lateral component of centrifugal acceleration is absent and the zonal ribs 100 need extend only a sufcient distance from the trailing end of Vthe inclines to prevent the kinetic energy imparted to the material from carrying 1t beyond the intended limit-s of its periodical forward movement.

The conveyer mantle 99 is perforated between the ribs 100 by numerous holes 103 to permit of air entering the s aces 104 between screen 92 and cone 99, t ereb facilitating the expulsion of liquid throug screen lill) i the slope of the screen 92 is such, that the lateral component ot' eentrilugal force, act` ing along the slope of said screen, is alone sutlicient to overcome the frictional resistance ot' vthe material on the screen and the scraping action ot the incline is not required.'

At the same time, it' the int-lines are to be dispensed with, the gaps 101 must not be even approximately in line along the slope ot the cone, so that material does not rush at once over the entire width ot' the screen 92 and discharge at the large end, without havingbeen exposed ,'sutlciently long to eentrifugal action to complete the separating process. Figures and 6 show the relative positions ot the gaps 101 in the series of ribs 100,- which latter act to maintain the said material in position on the screen for a period long in comparison with the period of flow. Thus, for rotation otl cone 99, relative to screen 92, in the direction ot' arrow 105, thematerial .entering at the gap 101 in first rib 100 at the small end ol' cone 99 would be stepped in its further tlow by the second rib 100D, and since the gap 101" is located ahead of the-gap 101 in the tirst rib, the material which has entered must remain at rest on the. screen until said ga in the second rib, or preferably a diametrieally opposite gap, comes around by relative rotation. In this manner the material treated is caused to flow'for a short period and to rest on the screen .tor a'many times longer period alternately as many times as there are ribs 100 on the conveyor cone 99, until its final discharge through the last gap at the large end ot' said cone.`

The ribs 100 may, if desired, be formed like a plane ring, as shown, Q1' they may have their cross section normal to the slope ot' cone 99 or at any other desired inclination, depending on the character of the material treated and other factors.

The cylindrical 4frame shell l is provided at its upper end withV the lange 106, to which is bolted the annular cover plate 107,

conical at 108, where it abuts against shelly 1, and having a horizontal inner portion 109, across which extends the girder 110 with the boss 111 at the center. Boss 111 is bored to hold the fixed material supply pipe 112, which extends `down through the cent ral opening 113 ofthe rotating distributing cone 114, previously described. At one side of girder 110 there is another boss 115,

'and through slots 127 'in shell 121.

loed to hold the wash water supply pipe Into the lower end of the fixed material'.

supply -pipe 112 there extends from the upper end 36 of shaft 22 the small spindle 117, having at its upper end, within the mouth of supply pipe 112, the small propeller 118, the purposeot' which is to cause equality ot' outward flow of material around the mouth ot said supply pipe.

Around the top of the inner 'trame shell 9 there is provided the inward annular basin 119 for catching the pure liquor expelled through the lower part of the foraininous separating cone S9, which liquor is led away through the pipe 120, extending down through the bottom plate 17. The inner shell 9 is continuedupward to near the level of the top of cone 89 by the lightershell 121, set into the grooves 122 in the top edge ot shell 9 and provided with the annular conical cover 123, surrounding and slightly below the top edge of separating cone 89. c

Inside the shell 121 there is secured the annular trough 124 for receiving the separated liquid diluted with wash water, issuving through the upper part ot' foraminous tone 59. 'Trough 124 is free to slide. within the shell 121, but is secured thereto in vertical adjustment by a number of bolts 125,

passing through its outer higher wall 1e washings caught in trough 124 are carried olf by the pipe 128, extending down through a packing 129 in the bottom 130 of basin 119 and through the basal flange 15 of shell 9 and the base plate 17.

The operation ot the machine is as tollows. Power having been applied by pulley 46, to shaft 22, the foraminous mantle 89 is rotated with high speed at a slightly faster rate, not exceeding 2() per cent faster,

and in most cases only a traction of 1 per cent faster, than the conveyer cone 99, as

will be clear from the previous descriptiom its speed being that of 29, carrying 49, plus the individual rotation of 40.

l With the machine running in the -manner described, material to be treated is admitted through the stationary feed pipe 112, and as it approaches the mouth ol said pipel the small propeller 118, rotating with the machine, ensures an equal distribution ofthe material, at the same time imparting rotary motion to it, so that-centrifugal force drives it outward, as it issues from the pipe, against the small upper end of the inner surface ot' cone 114, where fretional contact with said surface aids in driving the material towards its large lowerend. remaining inequality in the depth ot' the vlayer of material is evened u a by its comingl hydrostatieally to a true sur ace ot rotation At the same time any.

llltl rae through the influence of centrifugal force, so that it enters in equal amounts between the impeller blades 86. Unbalancing of the machine through uneven distribution of the material under treatment is thus avoided. The blades S6 now impel the material more positively outward and against the inner surface of cone 88, which has sufficient inclination, so that the resulting lateral component of centrifugal lforce drives the material upward against the lowest rib 100a of the conveyer 99, where most of the material is temporarily retained by `said rib, while a small fraction thereof is permitted to pass further-u ward.

While t e material is being moved upward over the screens 95 and 92 in the manner described, its liquid constituent is being ex- `pelled outward by centrifugal force through said screens and the holes 94 and 91. The ure undiluted liquor expelled during the rst or purging stage of separation through screen 95 and the lower part of screen 92 strikes against the inner surface of shell 121 and fiows down into catch basin 119, from which it drains away through pipe 120. The great bulk of the liquid constituent will generally have been forced from the material some time before it has completed half ot' its forward path on the screens, but there will remain films ofliquid adheringr tenaciously to the solid grains, which films can only be removed by spraying with water or other liquid while the material is under cen- I trifugal action. In the resent case a spray is continuousl applied rom pipe' 11G at the upper part o screen 92, and the resultiiw dllute liquor, passing outward throug i screen 92 and holes 91, is caught in the annular trough 124, from which it drains away A through ipe 128. Trough 124 is made verticall a justable within shell 121, as previous described, to adapt the position of its inner lip 132 to the most favorable level of division between thezones of discharge for the pure and diluted liquors.

T e dehydrated solids centrifugally discharged over'the up er edge of mantle 89 fly outward against t e sloping surface 108 o the cover plate 107 and are thereby diverted downward into the annular space 11 between frame shells 1 and 9, from which space they fall out-throughthe opening 12 in the fioor 8. .1

Access to screens 92iand 95, when the ma- -chine is at rest, is obtained by removing the cover' late 107 with feed tube 112, unscrewbo ts 96, which hold in place the bottom dis 97 of'conveyer cone 99, and lifting out no said conveyer.

While the machine described and illustrated is designed for the discharge of solids at the upperedge of the screen 92, which is the preferred arrangement for most eases, the improvements may obviously also be apycontrolled in ai etinitely measured out and restricted manner by means of zonal ribsv forming part of the conveying member and havinF short gaps while at the same time the period during which such progress takes place, throug said gaps, is veryl short in comparison with the period during which the material remains at rest on the screens between the said zonal ribs' that by such arrangement the wear of the screen and the escape of fine solid material through the screen with the separated liquid are ver much reduced; that the necessary sma difference in speed between the high speed relatively rotating members, comprising the separating and conveying members, is effected by means of Va non-rotating worm coaxial with the axis of the machine and engaging with and causing rotation of a worm gear about its own axis while said axis is rotated at high speed' about the axis of said non-rotating worm; that said rotating gear is inte l with a second toothed member engaging directly or indirectly at slow speed and higheruressure with a ear member secured to one o said slightly re atively rotatin high speed members, or integral therewit and that coarse pitch teeth can be used for high pressure slow speed gearing and line pitch teeth for the high speed low pressure gearing, that by the described arrangements the wear and noise of gear teeth are, very much reduced.

I do not confine m self to the special details of construction erein disclosed for attaining the above described ends. Modificatiens embodying the features described will. be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim.

1. In an apparatus for continuously separating liquid from solid material by centrifugal force, a foraminous shell mounted for continuous rotation about its axis, controllin mechanism within and coaxial with said she independently mounted to rotate at a different speed, a fixed worm coaxial with said shell, and gearing actuated by engagement with said worm operatively connected with said shell and'adapted to maintain a slight diii'erence of speed between said shell and said controlling mechanism.

2. In an ap aratus for continuously sep rating liquid om solid material by centri lOl) ' ling mechanism within and coaxial with said shell independently mounted to rotate at a different speed, a fixed worm coaxial withl said shell, and gearing actuated by engage-4 ment with said worm operatively connected with said shell and adapted to maintain a slightdifference of speed between said shell and said controlling mechanism, said gearing comprising an annular rack coaxial with and in fixed relation to said shell and an intermediate gear revolving about the common axis and rotating on its own axis.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a pair of concentric high speed meinbers, one within the other, one for separating and the other for conveying materials, one rigid with a shaft at one endand the other rigid with a sleeve coaxial with said shaft, a common means for rotating both members and mechanism comprising a fixed worin gear interposed between said common rotating means and one member for varying its n speed.

Vmeans to prevent material moving longitudinally of said shell more than the distance between one of said ribs and the next in one movement.

5. In an apparatus for continuously separating liquid from solid material by centrifugal force, a foraminous circular shell rotating continuously about its axis, a controller within and coaxial with said shell rotating at a slightly different speed, a series of. zonal ribs on said controller having each a gap and means to prevent material moving longitudinally of said shell more than the distance Y between one of said ribs and the next in one movement, said means comprising an inclined member extending from a 'point adjacent the edge of one gap to the next rib.

6. in an apparatus for continuously separating liquid from a mixture of solid and liquid material by centrifugal force while yconveying said material from one end to the other of the inner surface of a rapidly rotating foraininous shell by a conveying means rotating at a slightly different speed than said shell.l toothed gear operating means for producing said difference in rota.

tion of said shell and said conveying means. consisting of a fixed non-rotating toothed element coaxial with the axis of the machine, a toothed gear in mesh with and rotated by said toothed element about an axis and ro-4 tating about the axis of said element, a second toothed element rigid with said toothed gear and adapted to drive a gear rigid `with one of said shells and said con-V veying means.

7. ln an' apparatus of the character described, a pair of concentrically rotating high speed members one within the other,

having a slight difference in speed, the outer tudinally and laterally and to detain 'it vsuccessively in longitudinal zones.

8. The combination of a plurality of spaced concentric cylindroid members mounted for rotation, means for feeding fiuent material containing a liquid and solids to the space between said members, projecting members on the outer surface of the inner of said first-named members projecting substantially; in the plane of rotation thereof across said space, said last-named members having apertures therein leading in a direction angular to said plane of rotation'.

9. The combination of 'a plurality of` spaced concentric cylindric members mounted for rotation, means for feeding iiuent material containing a liquid and solids to the space between said members, projecting merribers on the outer surface of the inner of said first-'named members projecting substantially in the'plane of rotation thereof across said space, said last-named members having apertures therein leading in a :direction angular to said plane of rotation and inclined in embers extending from'one of ,said projections adjacent the opening of the aperture to an imperforate portion of the next.

1 0. yThe process of separating liquids and solids centrifugally and continuously` which consists in moving a fluid containing,r both in a substantially vertical direction in a thin sheet andsimultaneously rotating the same, and holding it at successive zones in its vertical movement While causing it to flow laterally in the zones and subjecting it to the action of a screen exterior thereto and a ,scraping action along said screen. j

11. The herein described process vof separating liquid and solids in a fluid containing both centrifugally and continuously. which consists in rotating the said fluid while it is held in a relatively `thin annular sheetbetween two concentric walls and causing it to pass outwardly tlii'ough screening elements of the outer wall by centrifugal force and simultaneously causing the same to move laterally over said outer wall and vertically thereof at intervals only, the periods of .lateral movement being greater in duration than. the periods -of vertical movement.

12. A plurality of spaced substantially concentric members, means for rotating the 'between said members, circumfential projections extending from the exterior of one of said members into said space and into proximity with the inner surface of the outer member, said outer member being foraminous to permit the passage of liquid therethrough, and said projections being spaced longitudinally of theinner member and havmg openings therethrough to permit the longitudinal movement of Huid in said spat-e in .a direction away from the portion of the s ace to which it is admitted and laterally ong the vspaces'between said projections, said openings constructed and arranged to plermit longitudinal movement of the Huid om one said circumferential space to another only after it has moved laterally through one of said spaces.

13. In a device of the character described a plurality of foraminous concentric spaced coaxial members, means for admittingr fluid to the space between said members and for permitting the escape of li uid and solids therefrom in different directions, and means rfor causing one of said lmembers torotate at a higher speed than the other while actuated from a common source of power, said means comprisin a shaft, direct connections between said sha t and both members whereb the rotation of said shaft is communicated t creto, a fixed gear member. an intermediate ear member engaging said fixed gear mem er and rotating thereon with said shaft, and intermediate gears connecting said gear member which 4rotates with the shaft with one of said first-named members whereby its rotation is imparted to said firstnamed member to give it added speed of rotation.v

14. The process of separating liquids and solids centrifugally and continuously which consists in confining the fluid in an annular space between two rapidly rotating concentric members, causing it to pass by centrifu- .gal force through fine openings in the outer member, and simultaneously causing the said fluid to move laterally around the said space and longitudinally thereof in successive stages while maintaining the supply of fluid to the said space, and then causing the separated solids to pass from said space near one end thereof.

15. In a centrifuge the combination of two concentric foraminous members spaced a art to provide an annular channel for the uid to be separated and means for causing one of said members to rotate at a slightly greater speed than the other. 'comprising a shaft, a source of power connected with said shaft, connections between said shaft and said members whereby its rotationis imparted to them, a gear member disconnected from said shaft and gears operatively connected with said gear member and withone of said concentric members whereby rotation of said gears with the shaft causes additional rotation of the concentric member with which they are connected, the said gear member having its teeth angular to the axis of rotation of the gear which engages therewith.

16. In a device of the character described, the combination with two concentrically arranged foraminous members,` mounted to be rotated from a common source of power. of a common drive shaft connected therewith. a fixed worm gear, an internal rack member connected withone of said foraminous members and mounted to have rotation relative to the other, and gears intermediate said rack and fixed worm gear, whereby rotation of said rack with its foraminous member causes accelerated rotation thereof through its connection with the worm gear.

Witness my hand this 27th day of November, 1925,- at the city of New York, State of New York, county of New York.

HANS C. BEHR. 

